A reason to drink
by angelfromhigh
Summary: Harry opened his eyes slowly, afraid that he had just had a drunkenly induced fantasy. He was sincerely hopeful that he had not just been kissing thin air.


AN/ I own nothing, except the wish to know how book 7 ends before the book is actually released...

* * *

"Harry, give me your wand!"

"What makes you think you'll be able to take my wand away from me? I mean Voldy himself couldn't get my wand away from me..." Harry was swaying slightly as he walked out of the reception hall. With his right hand raised high above his head, Harry was twirling his wand in between his fingers. His head was slumped and he washumming a catchy drinking song Ron had taught him years ago.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, Harry, give me your wand." Hermione said trailing behind him. The pink heels she wore to match her dress did not allow for much speed, but at the rate Harry was going it wasn't exactly difficult to keep up.

"Heck no! By Dumbledore himself, I would never give up my wand!" Harry said triumphantly. Stopping just short of the exit he turned around to take a good look at Hermione. Her bridesmaid dress was beautiful, as beautiful as bridesmaids dresses could be anyways.

It had a simple style, plain spaghetti straps, made of a light material that clung to her skin. It was brightpink, not necessarily a colour that flattered Hermione, but it wasn't as though she had had much say in the matter.

All in all it was a perfect dress for a summer wedding.

If only it weren't winter.

Hermione was barely covered from the elements that were seeping in through the exit. She felt the goosebumps rise on her flesh as a sharp breeze cut through the slight opening in the door.

Harry looked dashing in his suit and tie, nothing to austentation like some of the other guest that had attended (honestly,a vile yellowdragon hidesuit was not proper wedding attire, no matter what George and Fred believed).

Harry wore almost completely black, with the exception of the pink tie that matched Hermione's dress perfectly.

"Harry, you're far too drunk to apparate home safely." Hermione said crossing her arms around her front in both an attempt to look stern and to protect the precious heat leaving her body now.

"I'm not drunk at aaaaaall!" Harry said standing as straight as possible. His attempts to appear sober betrayed him as he stumbled sideways slightly. Looking at the floor as though it were to blame for him minor trip, he muttered "Damn floor tiles," Looking back at Hermione he continued, " You'd think that in such a nice reception hall they'd be able to lay the floor tiles evenly."

His words were slurred, his movements were choppy, and his balance was horrible. All in all, one could say with complete certainty that Harry was drunk.

"Harry," Hermione said pulling out her wand slowly, "I just can't let you attempt apparition in this condition, you'll get yourself splinched!" she said in her best authoritative voice, "I'm truly sorry about this," she muttered, ""Expeli-"

"-Oh no you don't!" Harry said quickly.

"armus" Hermione finished. But when she looked in her hand she realized quickly, her wand was no longer in it.

She looked up with confusion, to see Harry's eyes sparkling in victory.

He held her wand in his left hand, waving it to her. Harry did what any sensible drunk would do in this situation, he stuck out his tongue for emphasis.

Damn him and his wandless magic!

"Accio wand" Hermione said, but Harry just held on tighter.

"Harry Potter, you return my wand this instance!"

"And if I do will you let me apparate home?" He said looking at her suspiciously.

"Of course not Harry." she said exasperated.

"Well then I guess you're out of luck." He looked like a child unwilling to give up his toy.

Deciding it was time to change tactics, Hermione advanced towards him. "Harry how much have you had to drink tonight."

Harry bit his lower lip, and looked towards the ceiling as though in deep concentration.

Looking at his hands, he began to tick off each drink, however, once he realized that reaching 10 on his hands would require him to drop the wands in his hand, he lost track.

Deciding the truth did not sound all that appealing, Harry carefully considered his next words. "I won't lie to you Hermione, I'm a wee bit," which he emphasized by pinching his finger's together and waving his hand in her face, "drunk."

Hermione smirked and raised an eyebrow. "A 'wee bit' Harry?"

He looked at her in all seriousness, "Just a wee bit..."

"How many Harry?"

"How many what?"

"How many drinks have you had tonight?" He hadn't noticed her take another step towards him.

"I can't remember..." he admitted in defeat, "I lost count after I asked the barkeep to leave the bottle of mead behind."

"Oh Harry."

He stood straight so abruptly, she was quite certain he was going to topple backwards, "Don't 'Oh Harry Me', if anyone should be drunk tonight, I should. It's open bar for a reason...weddings are depressing!" He stood defiantly, just begging her to challenge him.

Her eyes soften and her features took on a look of sympathy.

"Harry I thought you were OK with Ginny getting married?" She advanced towards him more, but this time not in an attempt to reclaim her lost wand; she placed her hand gently on his arm, rubbing it in a caring manner.

He looked towards his feet, realizing that sudden movements were most likely not the best course of action as her pink sandals blended in nicely with his black shoes.

Once he had regained his vision, he said "I am ok with it," looking up to find her disbelieving eyes, he continued "I thought I was ok with it."

"Harry, what happened?"

"Nothing happened," he began, taking in a deep slow breath "I mean I don't want to be with her. I mean I do but not enough to make the sacrifices she asked of me. I mean not that she asked a lot, it's just I didn't love her as she loved me, which is originally why we broke up, and I want her to be happy, I just don't want her to be happier than me, I mean I want her to be happier than me, but I want to be just as happy as she is, and I want to love someone like she loves someone, because what if she was the one for me and I let her go. What if I never find someone to walk towards me in a wedding dress?" His eyes were brimming with tears.

Hermione blinked once...twice...three times. Harry had spoken in such a fast, nonsensical manner that even she had a hard time understanding what he had said.

"So," Hermione said slowly, attempting to work out the finer details, "you don't love her, you don't want to be with her, you just are afraid you'll never find another 'her' in your life? You're afraid you'll never get married?" She cocked her head slightly to the left, waiting for his response.

"Something like that" he admitted.

After a moment of silence, she finally swatted the arm she had just been caressing.

"Oh Harry you're such a girl," she said with a slight laugh.

"Ow!" forgetting he still held her wand in his hand he began stroking the place she had just smacked him, this went unnoticed by Hermione, however. "I am so not a girl," he said proudly, willing to prove it if need be.

Full out chuckling now, Hermione said playfully, "Of course you are." He took a step backwards and placed his hands firmly at his sides in an extremely feminine manner, causing Hermione to laugh more.

(Oh if he had too, he'd show her ALL night that he wasn't a girl.)

"Harry, you're only 24. You have plenty of time to find someone to walk towards you in a wedding dress. You're Harry-Bloody-Potter; you could have any girl you wanted."

"But I don't want girls who want Harry-Bloody-Potter, I want a girl who wants me, just Harry..." he paused and added as an afterthought, "Potter!"

Finding this conversation amusing Hermione looked at him and said "So you don't want a girl who wants Harry-Bloody-Potter, but a girl who wants Harry Potter?"

He looked at her exasperated now, "NOOO, I just want a girl who wants me. Harry." he thought for another moment and added again, "Potter."

This conversation had the makings of a merry-go-round if she let it.

"Hermione." he whined, "Ginny and I broke up almost 4 years ago. And I haven't had a serious relationship since. I mean the only female I spend any amount of time with is, Mrs. Weasley, and I can't marry her, she's already married!" Dropping his voice to just above a whisper he leaned in, "and she's _old."_

Hermione was torn between laughter and repulsion at the thought Harry marrying Mrs. Weasley. Sighing, she looked at her feet, realizing yet again, that her friends thought of her as an asexual being.

"Well have you been looking for a girl?" She asked looking up.

"Why should I look for a girl when I have you and Ron to help me pass the time?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, beginning to get frustrated again.

"Harry you do realize I am a girl?" she said reproachfully. Honestly, should she just change herself to a man, no one would really notice.

"Of course I know you're a girl. But you're not a real girl-"he stopped cold at her evil glare, "I mean you're a real girl, but you're not a girl I want to marry. I mean I could marry you, but it would be weird. You're my best friend, you've always been there for me - girls, as in girl_friends_" he emphasized, "only let you down and break your hearts. I love you Hermione and I don't think you will ever let me down _or_ break my heart! Besides, I like spending time with just you and Ron- but not so much Ron as he's busy snogging Loony - I mean Moony...no that's not right," with a moments pause he pumped his fist in the air and exclaimed "LUNA!"

"If you're not actively looking for a girl 'cause you're comfortable just being with me and Ron, what on _earth _are you bloody complaining for?"

"You should really watch your mouth; there are little children in there." Harry said primly indicating towards the hall. When she closed her eyes, he stumbled slightly to the left, but but since no one actually witnessed the act, he considered it to be a null and void act.

He watched herwith her eyes closed,attempting to control herself. Her hair that had been pinned atop her head for the ceremony was now falling out of it's confinements, falling in whispy swirls around her face. Her make up was light and, of course, pink to match the dress. She looked rather lovely tonight. Her arms were covered in goosebumps. It was then that Harry realized that it was indeed rather chilly where they were standing. Looking down her body, his eyes were immediately drawn to the two pebbles sticking through her dress in the chest area. His mouth suddenly became very dry and he licked his lips.

"Harry the children left hours ago...EVERYONE left hours ago" she said with a wave of her arms. "It took me a full hour to pry the bottle of mead out of your hands.

"Well if anyone has a right to drink tonight it's-"

"Yes, yes, it's you, I get it." Hermione said impatiently waving her hands in front of her. "Harry give me your wand. I want to go home now."

"Then go, no one's stopping you."

"Harry you have my wand."

He looked in his hand and realized he did indeed have her wand (when did he get that?).

"Well then I guess I'll just apparate us both!" he said proudly, moving to hug her around the waist.

"Harry NO! You will not do a side-apparition in this state." she said firmly. She made to grab for her wand, but he moved his hand away deftly.

"Ah ah ahh Miss Granger, trying to take something that isn't yours? What wooould McGonagall say?"

She made another reach for her wand, which he moved to hold behind his back. Deciding this was the perfect opportunity, she reached for his wand in his right hand, but his reflexes were just as quick.

She pressed her body into his reaching her arms around his back in attempts to reclaim on of the wands. She tried circling around him, but he simply turned with her.

He was blocking her attempts, but just barely. The alcohol induced fog in his brain began to clear slightly as his thoughts focussed strongly on the feel of her body against his, creating naughty thoughts in his head.

"Harry, just give me back my wand at the least," she said through her frustration. She was in no mood to continue this drunken conversation with her best friend. It was late, she was tired and her damned heels were killing her.

Placing both wands in one hand he raised them above his head.

Looking down at the shorter witch he laughed in triumph.

Even with her heels she was no where near tall enough to reach the wands in his hands.

"Whatsamatter Hermione? Being short got you down?" he said cleverly, laughing at his own pun.

Stretching across his body, making herself as tall as possible, Hermione grunted her responses back to him - it was quite possibly the sexiest thing he'd heard all evening.

He was praying she wasn't able to feel exactly how he was reacting to her at the moment.

Admitting defeat Hermione stepped back, taking a minute to gather her thoughts.

Missing the contact of her body, Harry decided it was time to make a hasty exit.

"Well then Hermione Granger, if that is all tonight, I think I shall return home and retire for the evening." (Yes yes, that didn't sound forced at all. It was smooth and debonair. She would have no idea how turned on he was at this very moment.) He turned and finally took a step out of the exit.

"Harry wait." Hermione cried.

He turned.

"Yes Hermi-" but his words were cut off as she pressed her lips to his.

He decided there and then that Hermione had the softest lips of anyone he knew. In fact she had the second best set of lips. Second only to...well he couldn't remember who anymore. He lowered his hands to her waist, pulling her in closer. What was he doing? He was kissing his best friend...at his ex girlfriends wedding...and wow where did she learn that thing with her tongue?

Just as suddenly as the kiss began, he felt her pull away.

"Ok, Harry, I think it's time you go home now!"

What just happened here?

He opened his eyes slowly hoping that if that had just been a drunkenly induced fantasy; he hadn't actually been kissing thin air.

But her lips were bruised and swollen from having just been kissed. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath was a little raggedy.

"Hermione?"

She smiled mischievously and held both wands in her hand.

"All right Harry, time for you to go to bed!"

"Are you coming with me?" Had he just said that?

She laughed lightly and shook her head.

* * *

He woke up the next morning, hating the sun for having risen. He blinked a few times, attempting to focus, realizing that no amount of blinking would focus his unglassed eyes.

He heard a piercing screeching noise - oh god would someone put that dying animal out of its misery?

The screeching sent a jolt through his head, something akin to the pain Voldemort used to cause, but Harry knew that this feeling was self induced. That this pain was all due to the copious amounts of alcohol he had ingested the night before.

Looking up, praying to stop the screeching, he realized it was his own alarm clock...but he hadn't set his alarm clock?

After finally turning off the alarm, a piece of parchment caught his eye.

_Harry, _

_Hope your feeling the effect (it'll teach you not to drink you oaf). I left your wand downstairs on your kitchen counter, in case you woke up during the night and decide to use it. _

_Love Hermione. _

His wand was downstairs? Why had he let Hermione leave his wand downstairs?

In a flash the entire evening came pouring back to him. The drinks at the bar, the conversation by the exit, the kiss...

What had he said to her just before the struggle for the wands (which he thought with pride he won even drunk...there was nothing like brawns against brains...but wait, she did end up with the wands after all...damnit!)? He had said something along the lines of, not wanting to be with her because she would never break his heart?

He looked at the picture next to the arms clock, of him, Ron and Hermione all smiling at the camera, waving and happy.

He never realized before that Hermione had a perfect smile - possibly because her parents had been dentists- it was white and pearly and took up half her face. Her eyes lit up when she smiled, and she got this cute little crinkly in the corner of her eyes. And when she was mad, her nose scrunched up as her brows drew together, it was impressive if you didn't know how to deal with her when she was angry...but if you had known her for 13 years, then it was actually rather cute.

And when she was sad, you could see her world through her big brown eyes, as they shown with emotion.

And Harry was going down a dangerous path thinking of his best friend like this.

Not that he could stop thinking about her now. Now that he had the idea of her doing more than be his friend, every memory he conjured up was inappropriate for their history together (he was quite certain she'd never meant any of her comments to come off as sexual, and yet here they all were in his head, with very explicit undertones!)

After all the kiss hadn't meant anything to her. She had simply used it as a means to distract him - and had it ever worked.

Was she having similar thoughts of him? Were all the memories of him being twisted in a naughty fashion in her mind?

He sighed heavily; probably not.

Looking at the picture one more time he realized that Hermione was beautiful. And she wasn't perfect, but she was perfect as herself. And she _would _never break his heart.

And Harry realized with a heavy heart, that he had crossed a line they had drawn. Apparently that line had been on the edge of a cliff because Harry was currently spiralling into the depths of deeper feelings for his best friend.

* * *

Harry wasn't sure how long he had stayed in his room, looking at the picture on his nightstand (partially out of deep concentration, and partially because movement made him want to hurl) but when he finally went downstairs to retrieve his wand, he had come to one startling conclusion, He was falling for Hermione- and he'd be damned if he were going to let her slip through his fingers. He decided that three things would happen.

Hermione Granger would be his girlfriend (if she wanted to). He would make her feel the same way about him (well he would try). And if she didn't, he would keep their friendship intact (and hide his heartbreak).

If anyone could win Hermione's heart, it was Harry-Bloody-Potter!

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this... this plot bunny was somewhat based on a real life experience with my own best friend...and yes it was my bright idea to kiss him to make him give me the keys...oh the awckwardness that brought... lol, please R&R it'll make me happy... 


End file.
